Chrysanthemum (Ju Hua)

Dr. Zhongzhen Zhao

Hong Kong Baptist University, 7 Baptist University Road, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong

[email protected]

Dr. Li LIANG

Hong Kong Baptist University, 7 Baptist University Road, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong

[email protected]

Customs for the Double Ninth Festival

Double Ninth Festival is a traditional Chinese festival celebrated on the ninth day of the ninth lunar month. It is also called Chong Yang Festival, where “Chong” means “double” and “Yang” is a traditional Chinese spiritual concept. It is a time when people are meant to show love and respect to the elderly. Chrysanthemum is called the “Prolonger of Longevity”. Thus, since the Tang Dynasty, it has been considered good etiquette to give chrysanthemums to others during the Double Ninth Festival, and it has been customary to appreciate blooming chrysanthemum flowers and drink chrysanthemum wine on that day. In fact, the Double Ninth Festival was called the “Chrysanthemum Festival” in ancient times. In the Chinese language, “Nine Nine” is a homonym of “Long Long”, and it is also homophonic with “wine”. Thus there were many reasons why people should drink chrysanthemum wine during the Chong Yang festival.

Chrysanthemums blooming in a field 

Botany of Chrysanthemum

In the natural world, the largest group of plants is the flowering plants (angiosperms).  Among the angiosperms, the sunflower family (Asteraceae) is the largest family. It includes 25,000 to 30,000 different species. 

Plants of the Asteraceae have strong adaptability. Some can survive at altitudes above 5,000 meters; others are suitable for living in desert environments.

Many common medicinal plants come from the Asteraceae, such as safflower (Hong Hua), Japanese thistle (Da Ji), common thistle (Xiao Ji), burdock (Niu Bang Zi), artemisia (Qing Hao), wormwood (Ai Ye), and atractylodes (Bai Zhu), to name a few.  Calendula and chamomile are medicinal herbs from the Western tradition in the Asteraceae.

Zhou Li records: “The color of Juyi for the queen is yellow.” Juyi is one of the six kinds of clothes for ancient queens. Ju refers to chrysanthemum, and golden yellow later became a color reserved for the exclusive use of the royal family in ancient China. However, golden yellow is not the only color of chrysanthemums. There are many chrysanthemums that have been hybridized, grown and bred for ornamental use. Some ornamental chrysanthemums can reach 20 cm in diameter, with rich morphological variations and colors. In the West, the nickname of these ornamental chrysanthemums is, simply, “mums”. 

Ornamental chrysanthemums come in many forms. Pictured here is a “spider mum”, with long, narrow drooping petals that curl at the ends. 

Chrysanthemum is recorded in the Compendium of Materia Medica as follows: “There are hundreds of varieties of chrysanthemums, and the perennial roots are of strong vitality and can grow by themselves. The colors of stems, leaves and flowers are different, and each variety is different.” There are more than 7,000 varieties of chrysanthemums cultivated in China, but the medicinal source is one species, which is Chrysanthemum morifolium Ramat. 

No matter how tall or short it is, and whether its flowers are big or small, the structure of a chrysanthemum flower is the same. In fact, what we call one flower is made up of many small flowers in a single head. A single head will have one or two types of flowers: ray flowers on the outside, with tubular flowers at the center (like a sunflower) or all ray flowers (most mums) or all tubular flowers (thistles). It is this unique type of flower grouping, or inflorescence, that is characteristic of the flowers of all species in the Asteraceae. .

Chrysanthemum heads are fleshy, not easy to dry. So, it requires skill in processing to make sure they dry before they become moldy. Medicinal chrysanthemums are processed by different methods in different production areas. According to the Chinese Pharmacopoeia (2020 edition), chrysanthemums to be used for medicine (or tea) are divided based on different production regions and processing method into the following forms: Boju, Chuju, Gongju, Hangju and Huaiju.

Boju is produced in Bozhou City, Anhui Province; Chuju is produced in Chuzhou, Anhui Province; Gongju is produced in Huangshan, Anhui Province; Hangju is produced in the Tongxiang and Haining areas of Jiaxing city, Zhejiang Province; Huaiju is produced in ​​Wenxian County, Henan Province (Huaiqing Mansion in ancient times).

Gongju type of chrysanthemum medicinal materials 

The processing of Hangju is different from others specifications. The Hangju are steamed and flattened. The flower heads are usually large, dish-shaped, and they often stick together in clumps. 

Hangju type of chrysanthemum medicinal materials

Huaiju is one of the four major medicines of the Huaiqing area. The fresh flower heads have an irregular round shape, with many bracteoles at the base of the flowers. In the head, there are more ray flowers around the edge and fewer tubular flowers at the center (the “eye” of the chrysanthemum).

Now there are many new specifications of chrysanthemum. One new type is known as Taiju, which is the buds of chrysanthemums before they bloom. Taiju chrysanthemum is processed by microwave drying, and is becoming very popular.

Chrysanthemum and Wild Chrysanthemum (Ye Ju hua)

The chrysanthemum most commonly cultivated and used for herbal medicine and tea is called Ju Hua in Chinese. There is another plant called Ye Ju Hua, where “Ye” means “wild”, which is also used for medicine. Ju Hua and Ye Ju Hua are two different species. The botanical source for Ju Hua is Chrysanthemum morifolium Ramat., and for Ye Ju Hua it is Chrysanthemum indicum L. They differ in their DNA, appearance, chemistry, and medicinal use. The Chinese Pharmacopoeia lists these two herbal medicines separately. 

Ye Ju Hua it is also called “bitter Yi”. Li Shizhen explained in the Compendium of Materia Medica: “Yi is the heart of lotus seeds, and it is bitter. Wild chrysanthemum also has a bitter taste, so it has the same name Yi.” Ye Ju Hua is more bitter than Ju Hua. It is distributed all over China, because it grows like a weed. Although its flowers are small, its medicinal effect is not weak.

Plant of Ye Ju Hua 

While both of these chrysanthemums are used to clear heat, Ye Ju Hua is stronger. It is particularly used to clear heat and resolve toxin. In addition to being taken internally, Ye Ju Hua can also be used externally. According to the Compendium of Materia Medica, to treat carbuncle, ulcer, swollen and swelling, use a handful of Ye Ju Hua stems and leaves and a handful of cocklebur (Cang Er Cao, also in the Asteraceae), mash them together, add a bowl of wine, mash to a pulp, then apply to the affected area. .

Ye Ju Hua flower heads as medicinal materials 

The Yi Zong Jin Jian in the Qing Dynasty (1636-1912) recorded a formula named Wu Wei Xiao Du Yin, which consists of wild chrysanthemum, honeysuckle, dandelion, violet and mountain begonia (Begonia fimbristipula). Because of the formula’s exact efficacy in treating heat and poisonous sores, it has been passed down to this day.

Modern research has found that wild chrysanthemum can treat acne and upper respiratory tract infections. It has broad spectrum anti-bacterial and anti-viral functions.

Ye Ju Hua is golden in color. The yellow pigment it contains can also be used as a food additive.

Wild chrysanthemums can be seen during field outings. However, because most of the plants in Asteraceae family look similar, and they can sometimes only be distinguished by looking carefully at individual flowers, confusion may be made by inexperienced people. It is wise not to pick wild plants to make for tea.

Common Chrysanthemum (Ju Hua) as Medicine

Chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum morifolium) can clear heat and disperses wind, calm the liver and brighten the eyes. There are many proprietary Chinese medicines containing this chrysanthemum, such as Qi Ju Di Huang Wan and Sang Ju Yin.

Qi Ju Di Huang Wan is based on Liu Wei Di Huang Wan, with two additional herbs, namely goji berry and chrysanthemum. Liu Wei Di Huang Wan has the effect of nourishing the liver and kidney. After adding goji berry and chrysanthemum to this formula, it has a more nourishing effect, and also has the effect of improving eyesight.

Sang Ju Yin is a classic exterior-releasing formula, and it is sourced from Jutong Wu’s Systematic Differentiation of Warm Diseases (Wen Bing Tiao Bian溫病條辨) written in the Qing Dynasty (1636–1912). It contains Sang Ye (mulberry leaves), Ju Hua (chrysanthemum), Xing Ren (apricot kernel), Lian Qiao (forsythia), Jie Geng (balloon flower root), Gan Cao (licorice) and Lu Gen (reed rhizome). It has the effect of cooling and relieving the exterior, dispelling wind and clearing away heat. Chrysanthemum and mulberry leaves are a common medicinal pair for dispelling pathogens by cooling wind-heat affecting the lung channel.

Sang Ju Yin (from Chinese Medicine Formulae Images Database-Hong Kong Baptist University)

Chrysanthemum for Food and Tea

The Compendium of Materia Medica records many health supplement formulas containing chrysanthemum. Li Shizhen records the preparation and dosage of a supplement containing chrysanthemum: “On September 9th, two catties (1 kg) of white chrysanthemums and one catty (500g) of Poria were collected and pounded. Take two Qian (7.5 g) each time with warm wine, and three times a day.”

When the weather is dry in autumn, chrysanthemum and snow fungus soup is a good choice for food and nutrition. Boil snow fungus, chrysanthemum and rock sugar together to make a bowl of soup, which can clear heat, improve eyesight, nourish yin and moisten dryness. It is especially suitable for dry eyes caused by frequent use of mobile phones and computers.

Chrysanthemums tea is available in teahouses, tea shops and restaurants. Its fresh taste makes it the first choice for many people.  It can be used alone and/or mixed with other tea, or other herb such as jujubes, and sometimes even with rock sugar. 

Chrysanthemum tea can detoxify, clear heat and improve eyesight. However, chrysanthemum is slightly cold in properties, so people with physical deficiency and cold should use it with caution.

Chrysanthemum Wine

Chrysanthemum wine is not made by soaking chrysanthemum in wine. Instead, it is made by adding chrysanthemum (Ju Hua) juice to the glutinous rice and wine yeast, and fermenting them all together.

Folk, or home-made, chrysanthemum wine is made from multiple ingredients, all of which have medicinal value. There are many formulas and no uniform standard. Here is generally how chrysanthemum wine is made. The raw materials are dried chrysanthemum flowers, rehmannia, goji berry, and angelica. Boil the raw materials twice into a thick decoction, mix it with glutinous rice and its yeast, cover and let it sit. After fermentation, strain the mixture. The result should be a clear, fragrant wine. It is reputed to have the effect of nourishing the liver, improving eyesight, nourishing yin and clearing away heat.

Caution: Home-made fermented foods and beverages may have food safety risks. Use good judgment, and ideally consult someone with experience before you try making your own rice wine

Chamomile: The European Chrysanthemum

Chamomile is the European brother of the chrysanthemum. Chamomile is also a plant of the Asteraceae family, originally grown in Europe. It is a common Western herbal medicine and tea, and it is included in the European Pharmacopoeia and the British Pharmacopoeia. In recent years, it has also been cultivated in large quantities in China. Chamomile can promote sleep and has sedative, anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, anti-pruritic and anti-allergenic effects. Europeans like to drink herbal tea; chamomile tea bags and tea drinks can be found everywhere. The essential oil extracted from chamomile is also a very popular health and pharmaceutical product in the global market.

Chamomile plants in bloom 

Dried chamomile flowers 

There are flowers that bloom in spring and summer, but chrysanthemums flowers come late in autumn. As the poem by Sixiao Zheng (1241-1318) in the Song dynasty goes: “Chrysanthemum does not bloom at the same time as hundreds of flowers, it grows independently by the sparse fence; it has its own noble aspirations. When the north wind is invading and all things wither, it would rather die on the branches holding the incense, than succumb to the north wind” This is the character of chrysanthemum.

Keywords: Chrysanthemum, Chrysanthemum Tea, Wild Chrysanthemum, Bozhou Chrysanthemum, Hangzhou Chrysanthemum, Gong Chrysanthemum, Chuzhou Chrysanthemum, Four Famous Huai Medicines, Chamomile